Are You Living It?

Yesterday was a classic Cyclocross race here in Belgium. We raced in Loenhout. The average speed was so fast at 31k/hour which is very fast for a cross race. The course was very fast and lots of slick turns on ice in the corners. I have never seen a course turn to black ice in the corners through out the race.
My start position was descent with the largest field of the week. I think I was 5th row, behind the big boys of Belgium. With 500 meters of concrete I knew it was going to be a sketchy start. After about 200 meters I started to hear the sounds of wheels touching and brakes squealing. The next thing I saw was the Luxemburg Champion underneath me and bodies going everywhere.  I steered my way through and didn’t panic, a reflex you learn from racing on the road. YOu have to react but stay calm and just roll with it.  I have ridden through so many crashes this way. The legs felt good, but the head was not there after watching that carnage on the start. When we came around 7 minutes later at the end of the lap they were still picking the guys off the pavement. It was bad.

That was by far the most insane race I have ever done in my life. Imagine racing through a medieval town with castles, old churches, cobblestone roads, steep technical singletrack sections, icy corners, ducking through alley ways, deep sand pits and frozen icy mud ruts. Now do this race with 60 of the best riders in the world, with 20,000 drunk and stoned Belgians and at night with a discotech raging in the infield! So sweet!
I had an absolute ball tonight! Unfortunately the form just isn’t that good right now at the moment, but I think it’s coming around.
The races are insane over here. We got totally hosed by the Belgian Mafioso officials and they called all of us up in the last row. Bullshit! They just kind of do what ever they want I guess and throw all UCI points out the window. I am learning this the hard way. My start was descent start, but a bunch of shitmen got in front of me and I just couldn’t make the fast group. Got gapped off and was in no man’s land for most of the race. I am just not there yet here in Europe and getting the feel for the race.
I am hoping that the next race will be better and that I will finally have a race here that will show I deserve a spot at Worlds. I am pleased so far with the races, but not with my results. It’s coming though, I can feel it.
Sorry for no pictures but I had no time today to take photos at the race. We got there late and had no chance. I think I ended up 3rd American today and 31st on the day, finished down a bit from the leaders. It was so sweet though. I can’t even really describe the vibe. It was Awesome!

I wanted to get some pictures from someone before I posted the report from the World Cup on the 26th, but I couldn’t find any of the Americans that I could post. Anyway, I will give you the run down of the race.
First off the atmosphere was insanely huge. The weather was cold and clear with 20,000 spectators and that is a conservative estimate. These people are crazy for cross. It is all very confusing while you are waiting in the start grid for your call up. I had no idea that my call up was coming, but knew that I would be towards the back. It’s crazy that in the US my call up is either first or 2nd row, but here I am 2nd to last row. I waited and finally heard my call up and rolled to the back of the start grid. I think there were roughly 68 starters. All of them the countries best. I am not sure how many countries were in the race but I am guessing probably between 15-20 nationalities. There were 8 Americans that were able to start and it goes by the UCI points that you earn all year.
The course in Zolder was really awesome and well designed. They design each course over here so that you can watch the entire race play out on t.v. and it is live on the Belgian Sports channels. It started on a formula one track with 500 meters of pavement and jumped into some flat sweeping turns. Then onto more pavement that went up into some sandy hills before dropping down some steep rutted out chutes, the right back up into the woods. The wooded sections were awesome. Very wide with trees in them, something that never happens in the US. Basically they just put tape through the woods and you have at it. There was one other burly technical drop in. The ruts were frozen and it was straight down with a hard left at the bottom. This was the most challenging and dangerous part of the course. It was also the most watched by spectators waiting for the carnage. The run up was straight up, very hard to actually run up. In fact, Jeremy Powers fell backwards is what I have heard from Wells. That is steep!
The race went alright for me but wasn’t my best. The legs felt a little slow and I lacked the snap from racing allot. Hoping that it will come back around here as I am racing every other day. I hung in there and fought through the traffic. It is hard to move up when the guys are so strong. One thing I was surprised with was that the technical skills are not as good as in America. Or they save energy for other sections, but guys kept getting off in uphill corners that were totally ridable. I could ride past them without much effort. It was weird. But that same guy on the flats or straight away was like following a motorcycle. So fast and just hang on for your life.
At one point I actually was confused as to what was going on. The crowd was never really loud. They only cheer for the leaders or boo the guy they don’t want to win. I was in no mans land for awhile and thought that they pulled everyone behind me. Then I saw a group coming and thought I was about to get lapped. They are so fast over here. Turned out it was a group in between just chasing me down. I jumped in there and stuck it out to the finish.
I was not disappointed with my ride, but know I can do better. After having a good taste of what it is like, the results should get better with some good fast, fun , racing with no mishaps. I ended up 41st and 5th American. I was only 3:51 down on the winners which to me is crap. But I guess to do your first World Cup and finish on the same lap as the leaders, this is a good race.
Now I am preparing for the Supreprestige in Diegem in Belgium just outside of Brussells. Supposedly you can watch it live on this internet site http://www.sport.be/nl/wielrennen/veldrijden/article.html?Article_ID=330595. This is supposed to be a great classic race in Belgium. I am excited to race. It will be under the lights with a 5:30pm start and really freaking cold as it is just 30 degrees out right now.
I’m psyched and the hunt for a spot at World Championships is still right on track. Thanks, hope to have some good pictures and an update from tonight for you tomorrow.

Right now I am in Isigem, Belgem at the USA Cycling Team house. Many of you know about this house and have experienced living here with the cyclists. Right now it is all just cyclocross racers here for the European Campaign.

I am in Kansas, and I have about 3 hours before I race in my 5th National Championships race as an Elite. I have had some killer races this year and in year’s past, but never a stellar performance at Nationals. I am keeping the fingers crossed that the two week break from racing will have me riding fast and fresh today. I have so many things going on in my head right now today. All the hamsters seem to be running on the wheels at once in my noggin. Nationals, Euro Camp in Belgium in a week, come back to Salt Lake, Job, and life. It is crazy!

Your lucky number is 5

I had some Chinese food last night on a whim. I never really eat Chinese food, but it was scrumtrulescent.  Even better was my fortune cookie.  With US Cross Nationals on the horizon this weekend it reads, ” your lucky number is 5″.  What does this mean? I don’t know an omen? Does it mean Top 5 at nationals? Maybe 5th row start, which would not be ideal because I’ve worked hard for my 2nd row.  Maybe it means I will have only 5 crashes in the sloppy muddy frozen mess that it is sure to be instead of 10!  Who knows I am sticking with the Top 5 as my fortune.  It could be a sign people!

Although the weather in Portland was not the traditional winter weather storm, it was still an epic.  The course here is very challenging and I think the fitness of the country’s top riders showed.  The course was a bit faster because it was dry, so that made it more of a race of attrition and endurance rather than just a slug fest in the mud.